saw Karma to Burn and Neurosis last week in Bern CH....super awesome! if you are a metalhead and haven't seen (or heard) Neurosis, check them out. i can't believe i haven't heard them until just recently.

Steel Pulse and The Wailers/B.B. King and Walter Trout

Steel Pulse and The Wailers on Saturday 8/13 - short and sweet. Reggae masters. Pulse was on fire 40 years of skanking and not a beat or a note missed. Turn on dime with the illest baselines - Epic. See Steel Pulse whenever they are in town!

B.B. King on Sunday 8/14. Old but good. Still belting them out and he'll be 86 next month. His band was tight. Super funny and warm - B.B. King. Walter Trout was the opener -Texas/Chicago/SoCal Surf Supercharged Strat Stevie style blistering rock blues. Real good show - maybe one of B.B.'s last .

caught Levon Helm at Suicide Six Ski Area in Woodstock VT Friday night. He was very frail, leaving the stage on a few occasions and then returning. There were some highlights, Theresa Williams was in fine voice and Larry Campbell was great as always. We missed Bow Thayers set, which was a bummer as we all were looking forward to it, but the lineup changed and he opened rather than play the middle set.

We rented a short bus from a limo company (like an airport shuttle) that a friend recently opened to shuttle parties safely to and from. Cool lights, and a killer sound system. the ride home was one of the stranger experiences I've had in a while.

I don't do a bunch of concerts, but I will say that if you ever have the chance you will enjoy going to a Possessed by Paul James concert. He puts on an amazing one man band show that will blow any other lone performer out of the water.

"My policies are based not on some economics theory, but on things I and millions like me were brought up with: an honest day's work for an honest day's pay; live within your means; put by a nest egg for a rainy day; pay your bills on time; support the police." M. Thatcher (RIP)
"...
Judges smoke it, even the lawyer too...So you've got to legalize it..." Peter Tosh

I still think Possessed is amazing because he actually considers himself possessed, and is consumed by that character. The performances are borderline performance art, having battles with his demons, or conversations on stage with his other band members, that aren't there. Its more than just talent with instruments, it's character development. In some way he uses his music to become more than just a one man band, and that narrative is way more interesting than any rad fiddle solo, banjo thrashing, or foot stomping can develop on its own. On top of all that he puts incredibly poignant lyrics (and interludes), with rowdy music, and showmanship that could fit in with any good vaudeville. Finish that off with a down to earth dude who will shoot the shit with you after the show and you've got something more than the sum of its parts.

a friend tells a story of an Etheridge show in Amherst where a woman in the mens bathroom line got bent out of shape because guys were telling her to use the womens room. She pushed her way out of line, walked up to urinal, dropped trow, turned around and pissed while flipping them all off.

Kottke , I must see. Furthur keeps getting better, though which Jerry songs Bobby sings is an issue.

Warren Haynes Band in Northampton next week Thursday 9/8. Have 2 extras, face plus I buy the first round (or 2). Calvin Theater

^ walked out of the last Keller show we attended. We went to watch Reid open. Keller has so much cool stuff but this show was dull, slow to develop and seemed self indulgent. Still, Kidney in a Cooler is a fun tune, love skiing to it. ahhhhh. skiing.